Oral cavity appliance



April 13, 1937. LQCKE 2,077,245

ORAL CAVITY APPLIANCE Filed Sept. 18, 1936 INVEN'iOR. :[HNES 2L 175M 6QM W ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the oral cavity appliancedescribed and claimed in my Patent No. 2,037,079, April 14, 1936, andthe main objects thereof are:

First, to provide an appliance adapted to be fitted into the mouth of athumb sucking child to prevent or break that habit.

Second, to provide a device of the type described wherein the action ofthe device may not 10 be avoided by the child.

Further objects and objects pertaining to details and economies ofconstruction and operation will definitely appear from the descriptionto follow. The invention is pointed out in the claims. A preferredembodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view illustrating my device in mountedposition in the mouth of a child and demonstrating the operationthereof.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View conventionally illustrating the roof of thesubjects mouth and the manner of mounting my device therein.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View further illustrating structural details ofmy invention.

In my prior patent above referred to, I have illustrated and claimed adevice perfected by me for the purpose of breaking a child of the thumbsucking habit, consisting of a device adapted to be fitted Within themouth of the child and having prongs serving to engage the insertedthumb of the child and prevent prolonged contact of the thumb againstthe teeth and gums by breaking up the suction effect ordinarily created.

As stated in mypatent,the habit of thumb sucking over a period of timecauses displacement of the natural position of the teeth, sometimes tosuch an extent as to prohibit orthodontic work, or if persisted in fortoo long a time, the distortion or displacement may be such as to rendereffective orthodontic work impossible. The device of that patentembodied a plurality of depending thumb engaging prongs, and I havefound that it has been possible for children wearing such appliances toavoid the prongs and thus destroy the beneficial action intended by thedevice. The present device renders it impossible for the child to avoidthese prongs, due to the fact that the teeth are mounted on a rotatablesleeve whereby, in any position of the sleeve, de-

pending prongs or projections are presented to engage the subjects thumband prevent suction in the mouth.

Referring to the drawing, the reference num- 5,5 eral l indicates bandsadapted to be fitted to the upper oppositely disposed pre-molars 2. Inthe particular form shown, the bands are intended to be attached to the.teeth for a relativelyprolonged period. However, as described in-mypatent above referred to, the bands and appliance may be so constructedas to permit ready removal thereof when desired.

Attached to the bands on'the inner forward sides thereof, as by weldingor soldering at 3, are a pair of forwardly projecting arms 4 connectedto one another by the integral transverse arch 5, said archforming anelongated pivot extending within the mouth of the subject and spacedfrom the roof of the mouth as indicated in Fig. 1.

Arch 5 forms a pivot journaling an elongated sleeve 6 which is freelyrotatable on the arch-and carriesa plurality of prongs or projections Iex-' tending therefrom radially or otherwise at a plurality of pointsangularly and longitudinally disposed relative to the sleeve. Theprojections 1 being rotatable relative to the fixed arms 4 and arch 5and being disposed at a plurality of points angularly, in any positionof the sleeve on the. arch certain of the projections will dependdownwardly for engagement with the thumb or finger of the child asillustrated in Fig. 1. So engaging the thumb, obviously the child iscaused discomfort by the prongs and further the suction effect which thechild desires to create is broken with the result that the finger orthumb will be withdrawn and in a relatively short time the thumb suckinghabit will be effectively terminated. Inasmuch as thumb sucking is inmany cases responsible for displacement of the natural position of theteeth, orthodontic work is often rendered unnecessary by my improveddevice and in cases where it is necessary the condition is not magnifiedto such an extent that orthodontic work is rendered impossible.

In addition to at all times presenting depending prongs for engagementwith the thumb or finger of the child, the rotatable sleeve of my deviceenables ready removal of particles of food which lodge between thedevice and the roof of the subjects mouth.

I have shown my device as comprising a continuous arch joining arms 4and providing a sleeve pivot. However, it will be apparent that arms 4may terminate in a pair of oppositely disposed inwardly facing trunnionsupon which the sleeve may be journaled if such a construction isdesired. However, if a pair of trunnions are relied upon care should betaken that they are sufiiciently long to extend a substantial distancelengthwise of the sleeve in order to prevent the in an embodiment whichI have found very satisfactory. I have not attempted to show variousadaptations and modifications in structural details which I contemplateas I believethis disclosure will enable those skilled in the art toembody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the type described, means adapted to be anchored onoppositely disposed teeth in the mouth of a subject, and means carriedby said means for discouraging thumb sucking, comprising arms integrallyjoined to said anchoring means and forming a forwardly disposed arch,and a sleeve surrounding and freely rotatable on said arch, said sleevehaving projections integral therewith and extending radially therefromat a plurality of angles, whereby certain of the projections dependdownwardly in any angular position of the sleeve to engage the subjectsthumb when it is inserted in the mouth and prevent suction.

2. In a device of the type described, means adapted to be anchored inthe mouth of a subject, and means carried by said means for discouragingthumb sucking, comprising arms forming a forwardly disposed arch, and asleeve surrounding and freely rotatable on said arch, said sleeve havingprojections integral therewith and extending radially therefrom at aplurality of angles, whereby certain of the projections dependdownwardly in any angular position of the sleeve to engage the subjectsthumb when it is inserted in the mouth and prevent suction.

3. In a device of the type described, means adapted to be anchored onoppositely disposed teeth in the mouth of a subject, and means carriedby said means for discouraging thumb sucking, comprising a forwardlydisposed arch, and means freely rotatable on said arch, said freelyrotatable means having projections thereon and extending radiallytherefrom at a plurality of angles, whereby certain of the projectionsdepend downwardly in any angular position of the sleeve to engage thesubjects thumb when it is inserted in the mouth and prevent suction.

4. In a device of the type described, means adapted to be anchored inthe mouth of a subject, and means carried by said means for discouragingthumb sucking, comprising a transverse support, and a member pivoted onsaid support, said member having projections integral s therewith andextending therefrom at a plurality of angles, whereby certain of theprojections depend downwardly in any angular position of the sleeve toengage the subjects thumb when it is inserted in the mouth and preventsuction.

5. In a device of the type described, means adapted to be anchored inthe mouth of a subject, and means carried by said means for dis-'couraging thumb sucking, comprising a transverse support, and a memberpivoted on said I support, said member having projections thereonextending therefrom.

6. In a device of the type described, pivot means, means for securingsaid pivot means in the mouth of a child, a sleeve journaled for ro- 1tation on said pivot means, and means on said sleeve and projectingtherefrom at a plurality-

